Railway-switch



UNITED STATES! PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEF B. SABENS, OF NEIV BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,704, dated April '7, 1891. Application filed July 14, 1890- Serial No. 358,625. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN B. SABENS, of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway- Switches, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch of this class constructed in the ordinary manner. Fig. 2, a like view of my improved switch; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken on line a: w in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, an elevation showing means for operating the switch from the car.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates toswitches which are especially designed for use with horse or street railways; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the main rail; 13, the switch-rail; O, the switch-bed, and D the switch-tongue. As ordinarily constructed the switch-tongue D is triangular and is pivoted at b in its head or larger end to swing horizontally. The head is curved or rounded outward at d, and a raised port-ion f of the switch-bed, in alignment with the rail and tongue, is socketed or curved inwardly at g, Fig. 1, for said curved head to work in. In this construction the strain resulting from the shock of the car-wheels on the tongue is entirely borne by the pivot b, which is thereby quickly weakened and hasv frequently to be replaced. Moreover, the pivot being fixed,

the curved head d of the tongue is liable to bind against the block f and prevent the tongue from being moved sufficiently far to take it out of the track of the wheel-flange, its point h being thereby soon cut or worn away.

My invention removes these and other objections, and in carrying it out I make use of means which will be readily understood from the following explanation: The end of the tongue-block f is curved outward at m, instead of inward, as in the old form. The tongue-head is socketed or curved inward at p to fit it to slide on said block. In the switchbed plate 0 a slot 0 isformed, said slot curving on the same circle as the block f and par allel therewith. A bolt 13 passes vertically through the tongue and said slot, and is secured by a nut u, turned onto the lower end,

said bolt being fitted to slide laterally in the slot and forming a guide-pin for the tongue.

In the use of my improvement, when the switch is set in either direction, as the tongue is moved the bolt t slides laterally in the slot 0'. The inwardly-curved head of the tongue bears against the block and causes the tongue to maintain the same relative position to the rails at all times. The strain resulting from the lateral blows of the carwheels is thus removed from the bolt and is borne directly by the tongue and block. If desired, the old form of tongue and block (shown in Fig. 1) may be employed, the bedplate in this case being provided with a slot for the pivot 12, parallel with the curve of the v groove in the block f, and a similar result effected. I prefer, however, to construct the parts in the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The slot 0 may, moreover, be formed parallel to a tangent of the circle on which the block end is curved; but this construction would throw the lateral strain upon one arm or end of the curve in the tongue-head, and is not deemed desirable.

Fig. 4: illustrates a device for operating the switch from the car II. A fiat spring S is secured by one end to the bottom of the car under the platform and has a verticallycurved or segmental head 15 on its forward end. A plunger or foot rod 16 slides vertically through the platform and is attached to said head, whereby it may be forced downward into engagement with the rail, on which it will freely ride. The spring-head is preferably V-sl1aped in plan, as shown in the detail view of said figure, and when sliding on the rail, as described, will engage a stud 17 on the switch-tongue and move said tongue as desired.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. I11 a car-switch, a switch-block having a curved head and a tongue mounted on a movable bolt or pin and having its head grooved to receive said block, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-switch, a becLplate, a switchblock thereon having a curved head, a slot in said plate parallel with the curve of said block, and a tongue mounted on a pin movable laterally in said slot, the head of said tongue being fitted to receive the end of said block, substantially as described.

3. The car provided with a flat spring having a curved head adapted to be projected 20 into engagement with a stud on the switchtongue, substantially as set forth.

4. The car provided with the spring S, having the curved head 15 and push-rod 16, sub 

